Rebuilding in the Aftermath
by Anthem of the Angels
Summary: What would it be like to lose the most important people in your life and then find happiness in the most unexpected of places? This is what it could be like if they were real. Rated M for lemons that will be in the story. Please read and review.
1. Chapter 1

Rebuilding in the Aftermath

Chapter 1 – Well it's a start

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy 7 or anything associated with it, I do however own the OC's and the plot.

How could this happen? How could they suddenly be gone never to return home again? Why did this have to happen to them, when they were so happy just to be with each other? Just a few days before they had said I love you before leaving for work and now they were never going to be able to say that again. First Genesis and then not a month later Angeal then a few months later Sephiroth and Zack.

The girls felt so empty and alone, both had gotten to be quite close with Zack and the fact that his own people killed him was the hardest blow of all. Both Lauren and Samantha were broken, shattered and both had no idea if they would be able to piece their shattered lives back together or not. Cloud came over to see and help take care of Samantha almost daily, it made Lauren smile brokenly because she knew that Sam was going to be taken care of, she on the other hand had no one there for her like that.

Until one day she happened to be running a mission with Cloud while Samantha was gone home to visit her family for a while, just till Lauren and Cloud returned from their mission. It was then that while with Cloud Lauren met someone who would later come to be her protector. He had been sleeping in a coffin for the last 20 years but like Lauren he was broken, she recognized the look in his eyes easily as it was mirrored in her own.

And with her telepathic abilities Lauren already knew everything that the man standing before her had been through. "Come Vincent Valentine it is time for you to walk in the light again, no more will the darkness bind you so." She said saying whatever came into her mind, instantly knowing that it was the right thing to say.

"How do you know my name?" The man asked in a deep voice that held little emotion but Lauren was able to easily pick out the sorrow, despair and overwhelming guilt that hid in it. The man opened his eyes revealing crimson orbs that like his voice held little emotion. He was pale like death had already claimed him though he was quite obviously alive.

"I am a telepath; I already know everything about you that is important to know. But do not worry I will tell no one. Trust me I know what suffering that kind of loss is like and what it does to a person." Was all she said as she offered him a hand out of the coffin. He took her hand gingerly and stepped out of the coffin once he was standing he had to look down slightly at her but he noticed right away that she had dead eyes, there was no light in them.

"A telepath?" Vincent asked curious as to exactly what she meant. He had no clue what telepathy was but it sounded rather interesting. He looked at the man who stood just behind the woman, the man seemed to treat her as if she were a superior.

"Yes, it means that I can see every thought that a person has ever had, I can also create channels between myself and any number of people though I usually only do single channels. And when a strong bond is formed with another they can get a hold of me mentally simply by closing their eyes and thinking of me. And this is Cloud Strife that is hiding behind me." She explained without emotion in her eyes or voice.

"Hello, I am Cloud Strife SOLDIER 2nd class." Cloud said offering his hand to Vincent who awkwardly shook it. Cloud was trying to think of what to say and obviously he was coming up with nothing. He looked to the woman as if seeking direction or perhaps waiting for her to say something instead of him.

"Hello, what may I ask are you doing in the Shin-Ra mansion?" Vincent asked breaking the silence. He looked to the woman for an answer as she appeared to be the one in control here.

"We were sent here on a mission, would you care to come with us back to headquarters I'm afraid the bosses are going to have some questions for you. If you would like one of us will stay to make sure that they do not use extreme means." Lauren said turning to leave the building Cloud following at her heels. Vincent thought about it for a second before following after them.

"I would like you to stay to oversee them." Came his simple reply. The woman simply nodded without saying another thing she left the Shin-Ra mansion and headed towards Midgar. She did not say another word as they continued on their way getting into town just before sun down.

"Uhhh…. Lauren do you think that we should wait until morning to take him in, you know when the bosses are actually in and all." Cloud said looking from Vincent to Lauren and back again. The woman nodded again not saying anything, which was beginning to strike Vincent as a bit of a pattern with her.

"Where will we be staying?" Vincent asked as they stopped for a moment. Lauren turned around to look at him before saying, "You'll be staying at my place there is a spare room that you can use. Cloud go back to Sam's as usual, I will see you bright and early tomorrow morning do not be late."

"Right, see ya tomorrow morning." Cloud said taking off down one of the side streets at a sprint. It had just begun to rain softly but Lauren simply took her time walking down the street towards her home.

"You aren't bothered by the rain?" Vincent asked as he watched her lift her face up to the drops as they fell. He had to admit she was a very beautiful woman, he also wondered what had broken her so deeply down.

"No, I actually happen to love the rain. Sephiroth and I use to go for walks in the rain all the time when he was alive. But since his death I rarely go out in the rain anymore because I normally find it to painful. Yet at the moment I am finding it rather refreshing to simply walk in the rain, though I do miss having someone's hand to hold maybe in time I will get use to it." She explained as she turned down a side street to her right.

"Who is this Sephiroth, and what happened to him?" Vincent asked normally he would not talk this much but for some reason she made him want to find out everything about her. She was able to draw him out of his shell without even trying to.

"Sephiroth was my lover we met in SOLDIER and went through hell and back together. Then when his friend Genesis went missing he began to get somewhat distant then when Angeal joined Genesis Sephiroth became a totally different person. In the end he died at the hands of Cloud because Genesis and Angeal drove him mad. Angeal was Genesis' childhood friend and he was with my best friend Samantha. Ever since Sephiroth died I have lived alone in the house that we had bought together, Cloud now takes care of Samantha but she is out of town right now as we thought that we would be longer with this mission." Lauren explained as she stopped and turned around to look Vincent in the eyes.

"Why do you keep asking me questions? You really don't seem like the type of person to ask a lot of questions or say much of anything at all." She added tilting her head to the side slightly as she waited for an answer.

"I'm not really sure why I keep asking questions except that I would like to know everything that I can about you for some reason. You are right I am normally an almost completely silent person but for some reason that is not the case with you. I'd like to come to help you feel better, you are so broken so much like me that I want to try and save you from the misery that I have suffered." Vincent said taking a step towards Lauren. She immediately took a step back both out of shock and self-protection. Vincent was not offended in the least by her actions simply taking it all in. "I will not hurt you Lauren; I am actually a very gentle person when I don't have to fight."

"That does not change the fact that everything you just said to me would be enough for me to kick your ass were I in a normal mood. As it is you are simply going to be under my watch now, until the morning and the bosses make their decision as to what to do with you." Lauren replied once again moving toward her house.

"I'm sorry to have offended you that was not my intention." Vincent replied following after her though a little closer this time. He really was curious to see what her superiors would decide hopefully they would not take him to do experiments on he had had enough of that already.

"You didn't offend me Vincent it's just that I am not use to talking to a male that isn't work involved or wasn't a friend before Sephiroth died. So please have patience with me, I may appear short tempered but I am normally not so. You do seem like a very nice person I am just still touchy about a lot of things." Lauren replied stopping and waiting until Vincent stood beside her. Taking his hand this time she led the way to her home just visible at the end of the road.

"Well either way I am sorry for upsetting you." Vincent replied as he looked at their joined hands with a mixture of annoyance and joy. He was annoyed that she had grabbed his hand as if he were a small child and yet also happy that she had made the effort to comfort with contact.

"Whatever it happens all the time to me it seems. Or at least since he died it seems to be happening all the time. So it's really not your fault Vincent please don't worry about it too much. Anyways here we are welcome to my home I'll take you to straight to your room." Lauren said releasing his hand which made him mentally sigh; he had actually enjoyed holding hands with her. It had been so many years since anyone had made or had contact with him and the fact that she had made the attempt touched him deeply.

He followed her down a hall to the left of the main entrance until she came to a stop in front of a door. "Here this is your room until the morning, hopefully you will feel comfortable. The bathroom is this door right here there are towels in there if you feel like taking a shower. I'm going to make something for a late dinner it should be ready in about 20 minutes if you're hungry." Lauren said turning on her heel and walking back down the hallway. Vincent couldn't help but watch as her hips swayed ever so slightly though to be honest it really was barely noticeable.

She really was a very beautiful woman, simply just one who was broken. Vincent was willing to bet that before she lost her lover she had been a very open loving person. The vestiges of that personality were still visible though probably not as much as they had been earlier after his death. Looking around the room Vincent noticed that it was a very comfortable feeling that this room gave. The walls were a nice neutral shade of deep brown the blanket on the bed was a nice black and the sheets appeared to be about the colour of fresh flowing blood. 'The colour of my eyes…..' Vincent thought as he ran his gloved fingers over the wood of the one dresser in the room.

Removing his gauntlet and gloves Vincent ran his fingers over the sheets on the bed to find they were a smooth silky material something that would feel nice against the skin. The pillows were oversized and soft and perfectly placed on the bed almost as if they were fluffed daily. Obviously she had begun to do anything to keep busy when she wasn't working, it was one way to try and avoid the pain by distracting the mind.

"Vincent dinner is ready if you're hungry." Lauren called from the kitchen effectively pulling him out of his thoughts and musings. As he walked toward the kitchen he noticed that there were paintings on the walls which were very good. He wondered who had painted them and what the meaning was to each of them, they seemed to be baring the artist's soul in each but not a thing was the same about any of them. "There you are there is a plate on the counter for you." She said once Vincent stood in the doorway of the kitchen.

Nodding Vincent walked over to the counter and picked up the plate and began to fill it with the potatoes and veggies that Lauren had made. Sitting down at the table Vincent decided to ask Lauren about the pictures that he had seen in the hallway. "I noticed the paintings in the hall, they are very well done. Who painted them do you know?" He asked maintaining eye contact with her.

"Actually I painted all of them, but I never thought that any of my work was ever good enough to try and sell so I simply kept them for myself. I love paintings I also sing and dance to though not as much as I use to. And thank you for thinking they are nice." Lauren said with a smile that touched her eyes though just barely. She seemed almost uncomfortable talking about it as if she thought that her artwork or interests were meaningless or somehow not good enough.

"I am simply stating fact Lauren. So how long have you been painting, singing and dancing?" Vincent asked quietly. He was genuinely curious and though he knew that small talk was all he could hope for at the moment he hoped that eventually she would open up more.

"I've been painting for about a year and dancing since I was 9. Now as for singing I've been doing that since I was roughly 2 years old according to my family. Or rather what is left of them, many have died and some were killed." Lauren replied eating her dinner slowly.

It was silent for a few moments before Lauren broke the silence, "Do you want to talk about it Vincent Valentine?" She asked looking me in the eyes. The expression that she allowed to show in her eyes was one of compassion and understanding. I took a few more bites of the meal before me while I thought over the answer I would give.

"It was a long time ago, I haven't really talked to anyone about it or how it makes me feel. But in truth she had been the only woman that I had ever loved. I never blamed her though because all I had ever wanted was to see her smile. When he began his experiments on her and her unborn child I did something foolish and tried to confront him. He shot me through the heart but Lucrecia managed to save my body and by implanting the Chaos gene inside of my body helped to keep me alive though at first I was little more than a contained beast. Then Hojo began putting demon after demon into my body, I have no idea how many dwell inside of me but each one awoke me enough to see the battles between Lucrecia and Hojo in her lab. I felt so helpless because there was nothing that I could do to help her." Vincent said looking down as he spoke the last sentence. It had been a living hell watching Lucrecia attempt to save him and to see her son, the only child she would ever have.

Reaching a hand across the table and placing it on Vincent's hand Lauren gave it a gentle squeeze. "I can understand your pain Vincent, it is not something anyone would ever wish on another. I completely understand that feeling of helplessness when you can do nothing to save the ones you love. It is like a part of you dies every time they are hurt and when they die a part of you goes with them. It eats at the heart and the very soul of a person. I know it damn near killed me when first Genesis and then Sephiroth left, and I very nearly killed myself after Zack was murdered. The only thing that kept me going was Samantha because she needed me to be there and be strong for her. I was strong for everybody else but I have never truly grieved for the loss of Genesis, Sephiroth or Zack because of it," Lauren said as tears began to gently slide down her face. She made no move to wipe them away or to hide the fact that she was crying.

Vincent got up from my seat across from her and took the one directly beside as he gently wiped the tears from her face. He placed my hands on either side of her face holding her so that she could not look away from him. "You could no more stop their deaths then I could stop what happened to Lucrecia, it was something outside of your control. You do not need to blame yourself for what happened to them." Vincent said continuing to stare into her golden eyes. They held such pain and sadness, so much guilt and remorse for something that was never her fault in the first place.

"It wasn't my fault you say? Vincent I let Genesis just walk away the same with Sephiroth, in the case of Zack if I had of been there like I was supposed to be then he would most likely still be alive. You cannot say that I am wrong to blame myself when my actions helped lead to at the very least Zack's death." Lauren exclaimed as a fresh wave of tears began to fall. It made Vincent's heart ache to see her looking so tormented and he had only known her for a few hours.

Unable and unwilling to stop himself Vincent once again wiped away her tears before slowly lowering his head. Not once losing eye contact Vincent gently pressed his lips against Lauren's expecting her to push him away or attack him. He was surprised however when she cautiously kissed him back, though she kept a tight control on herself Vincent could feel her relax slightly in his grasp. Praying that she would not push him away Vincent allowed his hands to slide to her waist and around to her back as he embraced her without breaking the kiss.

That made her pull back but just enough to look him in the eye. Her look was both searching and shocked, though the emotions were gone almost as quickly as they had come. "Vincent I do not think that that is a wise idea, I am not the most suitable of women especially for you. And besides you are a mission nothing more nothing less." Lauren said though Vincent was just able to detect that her words were not her feelings. She was pushing him away as an attempt to keep herself safe and protected like she had been for a long time.

"I am not the type of man who is suitable for anyone Lauren, Chaos alone if accidently unleashed would be the death of a person. But I am not the most emotional of men, I do not have any experience in that sort of thing. And if I was just a mission then why did you kiss me back?" Vincent countered he knew that there was more to it than that, it was just a matter of getting to the heart of it.

"Vincent I'll admit that you draw my attention like no one has been able to in the time since Zack died but should my boss make a decision to have you locked up or killed I would only be setting myself up to be hurt again. My grip on myself is difficult enough as it is I do not need anything to make it any more difficult to maintain." Lauren said sighing as she closed her eyes for a moment. When she open them again though Vincent could see a question in her eyes one that demanded an answer, an answer that he was only too willing to give.

"I know that I have not known you very long but even though that is the case you have managed to pull me out of my comfort zone and shell then even Lucrecia could before my life became what it is. I feel safe around you and it hurts me to see and know that you have been hurting for so long alone as I had suffered for 30 years inside that coffin." Vincent replied taking her hands in his own. It was hard for him to explain things like this but for her he felt that he would be willing to do anything.

"Look if all goes well tomorrow with the boss man and his lackeys perhaps I will allow you to get to know me the real me instead of the masked me. But until they decide you are nothing more than a case to me. Good night Vincent," Lauren said rising and clearing the table of dishes. She paused standing in front of the man before her, then she bent down and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead whispering, "Have a good sleep Vincent Valentine."

Vincent watched as she walked away down the hall to her bedroom and closed the door behind her. He had no idea what tomorrow would bring but he found that he felt at peace and content for the moment to just be around another that understood him so well.

The next morning Lauren was ready to go bright and early in the morning and Cloud met her and Vincent outside of the SOLDIER headquarters. "Morning Lauren, Vincent." Cloud greeted when they walked up the stairs to where he stood. There was another woman standing just to the right of Cloud who seemed to have eyes only for Lauren. She was tall with long waist length deep brown hair and glowing Mako-infused eyes, and she looked deadly strong too.

"Samantha? I thought you were going to be gone until the end of the week?" Lauren exclaimed running up to the other woman and embracing her. Obviously this was the woman Lauren had told him about the night previous, the one who kept her going even when she just wanted to give in.

"I came back early because I heard that the mission was done already, I got on the last train last night. Who's your friend?" Samantha asked releasing Lauren and giving Vincent an appraising look. The look clearly said who are you and what the hell do you plan to do with my best friend.

"Relax sis, this is Vincent Valentine he was our mission. Don't worry he's a good guy, wouldn't hurt us if his life depended on it. He knows what you and I have gone through as he has been through something similar only slightly worse." Lauren explained waving her hand dismissively at the look of protest on Samantha's face.

"I trust you Lauren I really do but you know that I will never trust any man around you again unless they prove themselves or I know them well enough. Anyways I'll let you guys go finish your mission I'll be in the lunch room waiting for you guys." Samantha said giving Cloud a quick kiss before turning and going inside.

"Well let's go and get this over with Cloud you will come to the meeting room but I will be staying with Vincent while they question him. We both know I am better at staying focused and keeping my cool so you are to return to Sam when I dismiss you understood?" Lauren said walking down a hallway lined with doors towards the largest door at the end.

"Yes ma'am, but are you sure that it is best for you to stay with him?" Cloud replied looking between Lauren and Vincent with a questioning expression. He thought that something was up but he just didn't know what.

"No I know that it is best if I stay because the things they will be questioning him about are not things that you will want or be able to handle hearing. I am much more able to handle those sorts of things Cloud and I really do not want to see you get hurt." Lauren explained touching Cloud's arm in a protective gesture before opening the door and walking in with Vincent following her.

"Ahh Lauren there you are I was beginning to worry that you were not going to be here though you did call me last night to tell me that the mission was complete." Rufus said from behind his desk. There were two other's standing in the room one a woman and the other a man. Both kept their eyes focused solely on Lauren and cloud completely ignoring Vincent who stood behind Lauren.

"Sorry ran into Sam and stopped to chat for a minute. Cloud you have done all that I required of you. Dismissed.' Lauren said turning to Cloud and winking at him while the others couldn't see. Cloud simply nodded his head bowed and then left the room quietly closing the door behind him.

"So I take it that you will be staying while we question him Lauren," The woman said moving to take one of the chairs in front of Rufus' desk.

"Yes Scarlet Vincent Valentine has requested as is his right to have me stay while you question him for his own safety as well as for your own. Reeve will you please sit so we may begin, I do have paperwork to finish after all." Lauren said nodding at the man who had still been standing by the window.

"Of course Lauren forgive me I was distracted for a moment there." Reeve said taking the other chair in front of the desk. Lauren moved and sat down on the long couch just off to the side of the desk and motioned for Vincent to sit as well.

"Alright then let us begin, hello Vincent my name is Rufus Shinra. I will be asking you some questions today and I would like you to answer them to the best of your ability." Rufus said looking at Vincent for the first time since he had entered the room. Vincent nodded his head in assent.

"What happened to Dr. Hojo after you were killed?" Rufus asked not even beating around the bush a little. He was trying to be direct and get things right, he had only recently taken over his dad's position as head of the Shinra corporation. Scarlet was there because she had been working with Rufus' father when he had been head of the company.

"I only remember bits and pieces but he continued on with his experiments even at the cost of Lucrecia and their child who you know as Sephiroth." Vincent answered smothering the sadness and pain from his voice though apparently Lauren felt it anyways as Vincent suddenly felt a wave of calm detachedness flood through him. 'Perceptive thing she was' he thought.

The questioning went on for several hours before Lauren asked the question that was on everybody's mind. "Mr. Shinra what do you intend to have done with Vincent Valentine? Obviously he poses no threat to the company and would indeed be an asset, surely you cannot mean to put him to death." She said settling a level and icy cold gaze on Rufus who looked back at her in shock.

"I most certainly do not intend to put him do death, quite the opposite really. I want him to shadow you or rather I want you to be his mentor. He will run all the missions with you the same as Cloud does, however Vincent will answer to no one but you for any mistakes." Rufus replied looking from Lauren to Vincent and back again.

"Understood sir," Lauren said standing and saluting the man. "Let's go Valentine, you have a lot of training to begin." She added turning to glare at Vincent. He was caught off guard by the hostile look in her eyes but he silently did as he was ordered.

Once out of the office and halfway down the hall Vincent found his voice again. "Why are you glaring at me? And why did you calm me the way you did back there?" Vincent accused as he stepped in front of Lauren to give her a glare of his own. He wanted an honest answer as to why she was behaving the way that she was towards him.

Lauren opened the door to her office and pushed Vincent inside quickly closing the door behind her and locking it. "I glare at you now because I have a reputation to maintain as a slave driver mentor and because now I have to deal with things I would rather not." She ground out between clenched teeth before relaxing and sitting down on the couch in her office. "And I calmed you like that back there because I know exactly how painful it can be having to talk about that kind of stuff. How it kills a little piece of your soul and heart to have to discuss them as if they were never alive or as if they are an inanimate object. I didn't think it was fair to you to have to feel all that pain while they continue on with their questions uncaringly." Lauren said looking up at Vincent with teary eyes. Oh yes she knew the pain that he had suffered through quite well, she had been through her own pain and he could see now that it cost her so much to act like she was fine when really she was falling apart at the seams.

"But why would you do something like that for me? I am nothing special and I am not without fault." Vincent said sitting in the chair beside the couch that Lauren occupied. He knew that there was more to what she was saying but at the moment he couldn't decipher exactly what it was.

"Who is ever without fault Vincent Valentine? I am flawed beyond repair in a lot of ways and too stubborn to change in others. I had love twice in my life and I had it ripped from me, do you think that allows me to easily carry on with life? I have love in my heart what is left of it but that love is harder to gain now." Lauren replied looking over at him as a single tear rolled down her cheek. Once again just as he had the previous night Vincent wiped away her tears only this time she took his hand and gently removed his glove setting it on the floor.

"Vincent the only two people I had ever thought of spending my life with were traumatically torn from my grasp. Yes I understand your pain completely but I also understand your want to find a greater meaning in my life. I had lived to be in love and at heart I am still the same hopeless romantic only now I have no one to give my affection to." Lauren said as she pulled his bare fingers against her cheek. Then she did something that surprised him greatly, she pulled his hand down and placed it so that it was gripping her left breast. "Feel that Vincent? That is a heart that still beats but that is broken and scarred deeply." She whispered holding his hand there for a few more seconds.

"That is also a heart that can heal if given the right things, it is the heart of a woman who is prefect in the eyes of this tortured soul." Vincent said before leaning forward and placing a gentle kiss on her lips. He was shocked when she slowly kissed him back.

"How can you know me so well already? And how can you love someone who is as destroyed as I am?" Lauren asked after pulling back for air. She looked into his eyes asking him if he could love her without trying to change her at all.

"I care about you Lauren, when I first laid eyes on you I felt oddly connected to you. I could come to love you yes, but right now the decision is up to you. However I hope to be able to make you happy even if just as your friend." Vincent said staring into those lovely golden orbs, drowning in them.

"Well it's a start. Maybe in time I will heal enough and we won't have to be friends forever, maybe one day we can love one another the way each deserves." Lauren replied kissing his forehead before softly kissing his lips.

~ Well here is the first chapter of my series, I hope that you enjoyed reading it. Please read and review if I do not get any reviews then I will stop writing this story. So please review, thanks for reading. ~


	2. Chapter 2

Rebuilding in the Aftermath

Chapter 2 – The Trials of the Soul

Disclaimer: I do not own FF7 or anything associated with it, I do own OC's and plot.

It had been 6 months since Vincent Valentine had been pulled from his eternal slumber by Cloud and Lauren. The best 6 months of his life Vincent thought looking down at the woman currently curled into his side asleep. She had given him the spare room here at her house accepting him exactly as he was, though there was nothing going on between them.

At least not yet he amended, hopefully things would change soon but until then he would continue at the pace she set. Honestly Vincent knew that he loved her now, he would do anything to keep her in his life and by his side. He saw the way that damned Reno looked at her like she was a piece of meat and not a human being with emotions. It made him want to kick the red-headed Turks ass from Midgar to Nibelheim and back again several times.

Sighing Vincent picked Lauren up and carried her to her bedroom, this was something that he had taken to doing when she fell asleep like she had. He gently set her down on her bed pulling back the covers on one side before placing her in and covering her up. Normally he would go to bed himself after tucking her in but tonight he felt a strong pull to stay where he was.

So Vincent sat on the floor beside Lauren's head and simply leaned back into the bedframe and closed his eyes. He let the memories of the past few months drift before him smiling fondly at the goofier ones with Lauren, Samantha and Cloud. They had become good friends the four of them and they often visited Tifa at her bar 7th Heaven here in Midgar. They had all grown closer and Samantha had changed from cold as hell to friendly where Vincent was concerned. She had said that she could see he wouldn't hurt Lauren anytime soon and that she could see he loved Lauren in his own way.

It was true that he loved Lauren he just didn't know whether to act on the impulses he felt or not. He thought that maybe it would be best if he just waited and let her tell him what to do and not to do. For now he just accepted that she was cuddly and that was it, to be honest he found it cute that she liked to cuddle so much. He had no idea when but he obviously had to have fallen asleep because now Lauren sat before him slowly undressing him and then stretching her body out along the length of his grinding into him. Oh this was one of the many sweet sinful dreams he had of Lauren.

Lauren opened her eyes and looked around her noticing that Vincent had put her in her bed once again. She began to drift through the memories of the last 6 months with him. They had grown quite close but he always seemed to be holding back his true feelings from her. Suddenly she heard a deep male moan of pleasure and looked beside her bed to see a sleeping Vincent leaning against her bed. From the sounds he was making she could easily guess what he was dreaming of and it made her blush.

Lauren got up out of her bed and knelt in front of Vincent just staring at his peaceful if not a little dirty face. She knew right then what he was dreaming about and this time along with the blush came a surge of feminine pride that she was what he dreamed of. Leaning forward she placed a soft kiss against his lips which parted slightly allowing her to deepen the kiss if she wanted to. For once she didn't back down and she slowly slid her tongue into his mouth exploring and toying gently. Her hands began to undo the buttons of his shirt while she began to kiss him rougher and when he woke up she would really surprise him.

Vincent slowly began to wake up and Lauren with her abilities was even more able to tell this. Though now was the perfect time for him to wake up because she pretty much had him undressed. She straddled his lap and began to kiss him roughly again knowing that he was almost fully awake now as he began to kiss her back.

"Time to wake up Vinnie and let the fun begin." Lauren whispered against his lips. Vincent opened his eyes and upon seeing most of his clothes in a pile behind Lauren's head he began to pull out of the kiss. Damnit he didn't think he had taken any of them off before he fell asleep. "It's about damn time you woke up, I thought I was going to have to pull you up and get those pants off of you myself." Lauren purred in his ear before nibbling on the shell causing the man beneath her to groan in pleasure.

So Lauren had removed his clothing while he slept that would explain why he had felt something against his lips but he had thought he was just dreaming. "Lauren what are you doing why did you undress me like that?" Vincent asked eyes cloudy with desire and more than a little shocked.

Lauren looked at him her eyes shining brightly with many emotions; she seemed to gauge whether or not to answer him. "I am taking your clothes off and I am doing so because I cannot feel you very well with all those clothes on." Lauren explained a faint blush spreading across her cheeks. Yes she wanted Vincent but now she was beginning to wonder if she had misread his earlier sounds as being made about someone else.

Vincent was shocked into silence for a moment before he leaned forward and kissed Lauren. He wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her body more closely into contact with his own. God she tasted like heaven and felt like a goddess, and here she was undressing him trying to get him closer to her. "Well why don't we finish this on the bed it'll be more comfortable for both of us." Vincent said pulling back for air his eyes still burning with hunger for Lauren's body.

Nodding Lauren got up and waited for Vincent to remove his pants while she slipped out of the nightgown she was wearing. She had never in her life felt so nervous about anything, she worried that Vincent would not like her body. When he had removed his pants Vincent turned around and his breath caught in his throat. God she was beautiful, her body looked amazing and he could imagine his hands tracing every curve.

"You look so beautiful Lauren," Vincent whispered walking over to her and placing a gentle kiss on her lips as his hands roamed down the sides of her body. When he found the back of her leg he lifted it onto his hip while she wrapped her arms around his neck. Lauren gently rolled her hips against Vincent's begging in her own way for him to make a move. Vincent picked her up wrapping her other leg around his waist and laying them both out on Lauren's bed. Vincent began kissing a path of burning kisses along her chest and down her stomach while his hands massaged her breasts, fingers pinching the nipples teasingly.

When Vincent kissed the slick folds between her legs Lauren couldn't help but to moan as her fingers delved into his hair. Vincent knew he had found a hot button then as he licked lightly along the crease before pushing his tongue inside. He moved one hand down to toy with the bundle of nerves that had Lauren moaning loudly. Vincent could feel her getting closer to the edge and he pulled away just before she would have gone over earning a groan of disappointment from her.

Smiling Vincent laid his body out along hers kissing her allowing her to taste herself on his tongue. This time when he pulled back she began to suck and bite at his neck leaving a mark there as if to say that he was hers which in truth he was. Vincent moved so that she was looking him in the eye when he slowly began to slip inside of her. He feared hurting her but she seemed to be enjoying it quite a bit from the look on her face and the moans leaving her lips.

"God Vincent! You're so big," Lauren exclaimed as a single tear fell down her cheek. Vincent instantly started to pull out but her next words stopped him, "God it has never felt so good and so painful at the same time. Vincent fill me till you can't push in anymore! Make me yours!" She was practically screaming with pleasure even as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Lauren, I am so sorry that I am causing you pain." Vincent said wiping away her tears and frowning. He had never felt so low in his entire life and yet he couldn't stop from pushing further inside her groaning at her tightness. He could see the shock in her eyes and the corners of her eyes twitching as she fought back hard tears.

"Vincent Valentine! Did you ever stop to think that maybe I wanted this? I'm just not accustomed to your size that's all, trust me this has never been so pleasurable or enjoyable for me before." Lauren said as a fresh wave of hard tears poured down her face. Each drop looked like a crystal drop and Vincent realized that by apologizing he was only causing Lauren more pain.

"My apologies Lauren, I didn't consider your feelings." Was all he said as he slammed into her biting back a groan at her tightness. He winced internally as she jerked under him but he began a steady pace trying to be gentle while still enjoying her body. He found that she was moving her hips in time with his thrusts which made him go in deeper causing both of them to moan.

"God Vincent how can you make this so god damned pleasurable when others have tried and only failed? Oh Vincent!" Lauren cried as he seemed to hit a spot inside of her that had her seeing stars. Vincent could tell that he had found a pleasure spot and he sought to keep hitting it. He was unsure of himself but the louder her moans and cries got the more confident he became.

"Will you sing for me Lauren? Will you sing when I bring you to heaven's door and then tear you back to earth?" Vincent growled in Lauren's ear smirking slightly when she shivered under him. He had to bite back another groan as she began biting lightly at his neck before sinking her teeth into the spot where his neck met his shoulder. God she was going to be the death of him at this rate.

However if she were to be his death it would be a most pleasurable way to die, but he had no plans on leaving her any time soon. His old soul that was beaten battered and damned near broken had found peace and the ability to heal from some of the hurt he had suffered years ago. He had finally found a true reason to live and here she was wanting him to hurt her in the most pleasurable of ways.

"No one will be singing nothing if you don't get your ass in gear unless," Lauren purred suddenly flipping their positions so that she was on top of him. "Now I think this position will work out much better." She added as she forced all of Vincent inside of her. She moaned loudly her head tossed back her mouth open wide as he filled all of her. One single tear fell and Vincent wiped it away not feeling as bad this time that he was bringing her pain.

After a moment Lauren began to lift herself off of him before sliding back down her hands on his chest helping her support herself. Vincent groaned as she rode him moving harder and faster each time she came down on him his hands on her hips helped to try and move her harder and faster. He couldn't believe how good this felt watching her ride him while he bucked up to meet her thrust for thrust. Her face was a mask of deep animalistic pleasure her hair forming a silky curtain around them.

"You really prefer being up there looking down on your ride instead of looking up at it?" Vincent teased kissing along her collar bone. He began to take light playful nips at her smiling as she moaned loudly above him.

"Oh quite because now I'm in control Vinnie and I plan to use that to my full advantage," Lauren purred slamming herself roughly down onto him. She grinned like the devil in the Garden of Eden when he groaned under her his eyes rolling back into his head a little.

"Fuck….. Lauren…" Vincent groaned bucking up to meet her before growling and rolling her under him lifting her legs high up on his waist almost to his chest as he slammed into her harshly all signs of control lost. God he needed to feel her tight and hot around him as he felt her nearing her release.

Lauren cried out his name loudly as she fell crashing over that edge and indeed it did feel like he had lifted her up to heaven's door only to tear her back down to earth. She clung to him as he found his release within her body thrusting in and out for another few minutes until the last bits of their orgasms had faded away.

"I think the trials of my soul have finally begun to be forgiven and healed." Lauren whispered holding him close to her.

Vincent kissed her softly and murmured his agreement with what she had just said. He knew that he would never again in his life be able to find such complete happiness unless it was with her. She had given him back something that he had thought long dead and lost….. his heart.

~Meanwhile~

Samantha sighed as she stood thinking about how things had begun to change between her and Cloud, how they had gotten deeper and more complicated. True she and he had been in a relationship for a while now but last week things had gotten more complicated when they had slept together for the first time.

Her soul felt destroyed and yet when she was with him it was like everything was right in the world. Like she was home and everything that life threw her way could be handled as long as he was at her side. To be blunt she had fallen in love with Cloud just as she had with Angeal what seemed so long ago now.

"I wonder if this means that the trial is over?" Samantha whispered to herself as she sat looking up at the clouds floating by in the sky.

"The trial only continues for as long as you allow yourself to suffer Samantha,"  
Cloud said moving to sit beside her.

Samantha blinked at him in surprise she hadn't even heard him approach her she had been so caught up in her thoughts. "You really think that that is true Cloud?" Samantha asked looking at him.

"Yes, I truly believe that because I stopped making myself suffer and now with you I know I can handle anything that might happen to me outside of losing you." Cloud replied kissing her cheek.

Samantha turned her head and crashed their lips together kissing him deeply while he pulled her body against his. He knew that this was love between them and he would never need anything other than the woman here in his arms to be happy. She was all he could ever need and more.

"I love you Samantha," Cloud whispered.

"And I love you too Cloud," Samantha replied kissing him again.

It seems that even tortured souls suffering through trials of themselves can find love and happiness. They could learn to heal and move on and how to get stronger when all else failed to do so. The trials of these tortured souls ended because they decided to let in the hope that they had been shutting out for so long. It allowed them to start to see the good in everything again and to find the happiness in the things that they had. Not the sadness for the things which they did not hold within their grasp.


End file.
